Is Your Good Idea God’s Idea?

The interesting true-life conversation below between a father and his five-year-old son underscores the importance of running our good idea on the litmus of divine will and agenda. The dialogue was narrated by the father:

About 3 hours later, I actually forgot and took another route on our way home. On sighting Fountain, he realised we did not pass the Coldstone route.

Son: But, daddy, I said I wanted to check out Coldstone Ice cream!

Father: Oops! Sorry, I forgot.

Son: Can’t we go back?

Father: Sorry, son. No chance. Maybe next time we’ll go there.

Son: Ok… [not so happy]

Some minutes later, whilst still thinking about the encounter.

Father: But, son, you said you wanted to “check out” the ice-cream, right?

Son: Yes, dad.

Father: If we had gone there, who would have paid for the ice-cream?

He looked stunned for some seconds.

Son: You, of course!

Father: But it wasn’t my idea that we check out ice-cream. The idea was yours. Why should I be the one to pay?

The natural, logical answer.

Son: Because you’re my daddy.

Father: Yes, I am. But that doesn’t mean that I have to pay for it just because you want it.

Silence….

Lesson: Now, isn’t that the way we get with God? Yes, He is our Father, and a very loving Father at that. But does that mean He is bound to provide resources for all our whimsical ideas, dreams, business, ambitions, projects, desires, etc?

How many times do we get stunned like that little boy when God decided to look the other way rather than cater to our whims, even though we are very excited about them and cannot wait to get cracking with them? Is your good idea God’s idea? Remember, if it’s not His idea, then God is not obligated to power it. If He did not commission it, He may not sponsor it, and if it is not His will, it will not be on His bill. And this has nothing to with whether He loves us or not.

Meditation: Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. – Psalm 32:9